#communitarianism

My colleagues and I were in Washington last month to discuss the North American relationship, spanning trade, security, and broader cultural and strategic alignment. We, at MLI, are all for the view that America is our closest ally, necessary and irreplaceable partner on trade, defence, security, and much more. But that is not to say that taking a wider lens on history, there is not a good deal…

After thinking about it a while, I finally launched a new side blog, The Better World Buffet. My friends in the Good Omens fandom probably won't be surprised that I'm an avowed communitarian and optimist. The new blog embraces and expands on that tendency. I'll share stories and tools that remind us that we can build a better world, day by day, even when it appears the odds are against us. Check out my Happy New Year post where I share a bit of my local culture and why it gives me hope for the future. I'm inviting my Good Omens friends to join me because I've found many like-minded people in the fandom. If you like what you see and look forward to more, follow. After all, if you believe a bunch of kids and a dog (with a little assistance from an angel and demon) can defeat Satan, taking down the fascists and oligarchs seems like the next best step.

Communitarianism is the philosophy that focuses on 'the connection between individuals and the community' with a focus on how a person is 'largely molded by community relationships' and less focus on individualism, with community being the family as well as the wider community, with a focus on those who share a geographical location, interest, history, or other non-coercive social structures, which sets it apart from collectivism, which is often exercised in the form of state authority, and individualism. While as a formal field of philosophy, it is relatively recent, originating in the 20th century, the idea goes back far in history, with some viewing hunter-gatherer societies in the Paleolithic through settled societies of the Chalcolithic (Copper Age) were communitarian, seeing to the needs of those within the community.

Communitarianism is also linked with concepts like communism, where property is shared in common between all members of the group. Pythagoras and his followers 'lived in one building with all property in common because the philosopher taught the absolute equality of property with all worldly possessions being brought into a common store'. In the Republic, Plato 'rejected the concept of family and private property. In a social order divided into warrior-kings and craftsmen and peasants, Plato conceived and ideal Greek city-state without any form of capitalism and commercialism with business enterprise, political plurality, and working-class unrest considered as evils that must be abolished', forming the basis of many utopias that followed.

Cooperation is another form of communitarianism, with several studies suggesting that language and fairness enable cooperation, and that teaching, helping and self-sacrifice, and cooperative problem solving is a form of 'selfish behavior, working together to solve a problem, because it yields success to engage cooperatively, typically this means work in effort toward solving a problem can only ever be solved by a cooperative effort, for example, most individuals working cooperatively, but especially within families, has made cooperative behaviors generally aggregated together to accomplish major problem solving for survival'. Democracy is a form of this type of cooperation, requiring 'social comparison, engagement with collaboration, and wanting to be someone who shares, which all stems from the desire to not monopolize all resources but to gradually accept divvying up of resources of collaboration'. Cooperation has been required for all human achievements, including the study of philosophy, and survival.

How Communitarianism Offers a Better Path

I identify most with communitarianism. Communitarian cultures prioritize the collective good over individual desires, emphasizing harmony and cohesion within society. While Thought Co. states that "Communitarianism is often considered the opposite of liberalism," (Longley, 2020) modern liberalism, particularly in leftist communities, seeks a balance that allows for self-expression while addressing societal needs to exist peacefully. In contrast, individualist cultures hold self-reliance and personal success in high regard, even if it comes at the expense of the broader community.

In communitarian societies, individuals are considered integral parts of a larger social construct, expected to contribute to the community’s well-being through social, family, and civic responsibilities. Individualist cultures, however, place the highest value on individual rights—such as freedom of choice, speech, and action—even when these rights conflict with the common good. As described by both Thought Co. and the Foundation for Economic Education, classical liberalism embodies these principles, which became the foundation of "liberal democracies" in the free world.

“These individualistic principles became the pillars of the social institutions that now characterize what we call the “free world” (hence the term “liberal” democracies).” (Carroll & Sanchez, 2022)

While individualists believe society exists to support personal freedom and autonomy, communitarians believe in acting in ways that benefit the group. Communitarianism does not reject individual rights like freedom of speech and action. Still, it insists that these rights should not supersede the safety and well-being of the community.

In today’s American society, particularly in Black communities and in the broader cultural context, individualism dominates. This aligns with our focus on capitalism and the "American Dream." While Etzioni points out that tightly-knit communities can hinder individuality and creativity, we've moved beyond that. We now operate in a society where, unless something directly affects us, we often choose not to engage—even within our families. This has led to a culture that breeds widespread unhappiness. One critic notes, "...Our idea of happiness has been transformed to make us better consumers... these values have been co-opted and used to normalize a deeply unjust and undesirable situation." (Illing, 2018)

References

Carroll, P., & Sanchez, D. (2022, July 2). Individualism: A Deeply American Philosophy. FEE.org. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://fee.org/resources/individualism-a-deeply-american-philosophy/

Etzioni, A. (2002, May). "The Good Society" by Amitai Etzioni. Seattle University School of Law Digital Commons. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu/sjsj/vol1/iss1/7?utm_source=digitalcommons.law.seattleu.edu%2Fsjsj%2Fvol1%2Fiss1%2F7&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

Illing, S. (2018, September 4). A history of happiness explains why capitalism makes us feel empty inside. Vox. Retrieved October 6, 2024, from https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/9/4/17759590/happiness-fantasy-capitalism-culture-carl-cederstrom

They are neither Left, Right, or Center, but rather describe philosophies standing in contrast to stark individualism and acknowledge the communal nature of society and individuals.

To continue this blog’s account of William Schubert’s commonplaces of curriculum[1] with the last of his concerns, milieu, this posting addresses one of the main elements of American culture.  The nation is deeply entrenched in the prevailing perspective of the natural rights view.  This is mostly demonstrated by how individualistic the US is.  Usually, this characteristic is identified and described as a highly positive quality.  But a more reserved view can be illustrated by how World Population Review recently described this trait:

[A respected think tank] ranks the United States as the most individualistic country in the world.  Personal freedoms are a deeply held conviction for most Americans.  Varying opinions exist as to whether American individualism can go too far at times, such as when many Americans refused to wear masks or follow recommended contained policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, or whether this self-determination makes Americans more resilient and even altruistic (because they wish to help one another directly rather than relying upon the government to do it) than they would be if individualism was lower.[2]

Readers of this blog know the bias here is to see that the levels of individualism the nation holds are highly negative in regard to the health of the nation.

          Probably a good example of how a respected sociologist expressed concern over this trait was Amitai Etzioni (who died this past May).  He documented in 1996 the social trends of deviance and the deterioration of many of the nation’s social institutions as a result of such a view.[3]  Earlier in this blog, it documents how these deteriorating conditions have affected schools.  But Etzioni also sensed the beginnings of a “curl back” period. 

That is, he saw signs that the general population is becoming more sensitive to the lack of values and the consequences such a condition causes.  He cited several movements that are reacting and are based on conservative ideology, such as the religious right.[4]  But he also saw more moderate to liberal responses.  He included in this latter group the current communitarian movement, for which he was one of its main spokespersons. 

The more liberal reaction is not a call for revitalizing a time when Americans were more homogeneous in their thinking, but to a social condition where equality is sustained by meaningful allocation of responsibility and duties and the firm expectation that such an allocation be based on rational and reflected determinations of individual abilities.  Etzioni wrote:

Communitarians called for a shoring up of the moral, social, and political foundations.  Objecting to a liberal notion that the family was dysfunctional, defunct, or unnecessary, but not advocating a return to the traditional family, communitarians have favored a peer marriage in which father and mother have the same rights and responsibilities and both are more dedicated to their children.  Communitarians favored relying on moral dialogues, education, and suasion to win people to their ideals, rather than imposing their values by force of law.  They showed faith in faith.[5]

To what extent the current “curl back” movement is a viable one, time will tell.  And the time since 1996 has not seen meaningful turns toward a more communal nation.

Supporting this general judgment have been various journalistic reports.  For example, Time magazine recently portrays a fairly self-centered cultural bent in America.  After agreeing with the judgment that the bulk of American history could be described as Americans balancing the demands of community with self-ambition, its account reports:

But something has changed. We all feel this. In America today, far too many of us are disconnected from each other, lonely, self-protective, or at each other’s throats. Sacrifice for the common good feels anachronistic. Everything not nailed down has been commoditized or turned into a source of personal enrichment. The daily “shout” shows [sic] and nonstop social media hostility push[es] us into corners and reward balkanization. Sacrificing personal gain for the common good or treating people with different views respectfully or prioritizing collective success over individual success—it’s all for the suckers.

Much has been written about why we tipped toward ourselves over the last several decades. The villains in this story include declines in religious participation and social outings and clubs, fueled in part by television, which keeps us at home. Workplaces also became more focused on profit than on employee well-being and solidarity, and we started lionizing those who stepped over others to get ahead. While those people always existed in society, they were usually identified and treated as outliers that needed to be constrained, not as examples of American greatness.[6]

This account highly echoes what this blog has claimed.  But the judgment of this blog is that Etzioni is right when he argued that a shift toward communal concerns was needed not only on a social basis, but also at the individual level.

          How does the communitarian view agree with the proposed approach of liberated federalism?  The judgment is that it is a very congruent argument with the stated view of the communitarians in terms of goals.  To the extent that communitarians can convince people of their position, such development would be helpful in getting the proposed change in curricular approach, to federation theory, adopted.  But the challenges ahead should not be underestimated.

          One such challenge is the singular expectation that schools are built and maintained to only further the job preparedness of students.[7]  That expectation generally coincides with the anti-intellectualism that characterizes American culture.  But the picture is not so one-sided.  Insofar as curricular documents are political products, they reflect what Americans want.

One can generally find the expectation expressed in those curricula that schools should encourage students to be concerned with basic American political values, encourage them to participate in political processes, and understand the complex interrelationships of complex organizations. 

These are central concerns of the proposed liberated federalism approach.  One can argue that these are more rhetorical than substantive beliefs, but at least one can find among some Americans that, idealistically, believe they should be central.  To indulge in some hopeful thinking, if Etzioni was right in thinking that Americans are becoming more concerned with the lack of moral conduct, perhaps this is an ideal time to meet a growing expectation. 

With what?  For one, with a curriculum reform that fits so congruently with what Americans were able to accomplish some time ago – a balance between self-ambition and communal allegiance.  Liberated federalism is a view that in its elements addresses this seemingly contradictory value scheme.  Within that view, one can realize it is not contradictory if one realizes an assumed truth.

That is that one views reality from a more long-term perspective – as earlier Americans were able to do.  In that perspective, one realizes oneself interest is best served in a federated social environment.  That is the aim of implementing a liberated federalist curricular approach, especially in the nation’s civics educational efforts.

[1] William H. Schubert, Curriculum:  Perspective, Paradigm, and Possibility (New York, NY:  MacMillan Publishing Company, 1986).  The commonplaces can be defined as follows:

The subject matter refers to the academic content presented in the curriculum. 

The teacher is the professional instructor authorized to present and supervise curricular activities within the classroom setting. 

Learners are defined as those individuals attending school for the purpose of acquiring the education entailed in a particular curriculum.

Milieu refers to the general cultural setting and ambiance within the varied social settings found at the school site.

Upon reflection, these commonplaces prove to be helpful in asking insightful questions.

[2] “Individualistic Countries 2023,” World Population Review (2023), accessed October 25, 2023, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/individualistic-countries.

[3] Amitai Etzioni, The Golden Rule:  Community and Morality in a Democratic Society (New York, NY:  Basic Books, 1996).

[4] For example, see David A. Palmer, “Spiritual Individualism, Is the Spiritual Consumer a God?” Medium (April 19, 2021) accessed October 25, 2023, https://medium.com/the-new-mindscape/spiritual-individualism-274361ee74f4.

[5] Etzioni, The Golden Rule, 74.

[6] Richard Weissbourd and Chris Murphy, “We Have Put Individualism Ahead of the Common Good for Too Long,” Time (April 11, 2023), accessed October 25, 2023, https://time.com/6269091/individualism-ahead-of-the-common-good-for-too-long/.

Source:The Daily Journal I’ve blogged about this before, but the People’s Temple in the most positive sense and what its legacy is, is a collection of lost souls. Who for whatever reason or reasons weren’t making it in mainstream America and were lost. And looking for a direction and a leader to lead them to lets say the promise land and end their pain and suffering. And to a certain extent and…